Concentrator



(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 1.

- W. H. ROOKFELLOW.

GONGENTRATOR No. 563,805. Patented July 14,1896.

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' 2 Sheets-$heet 2. W. H. ROUKPELLOW.

GONGENTRATOR.

No. 563,805. Patented July 14, 1896 WITNESSES.

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\VILLIAM H. ROCKFELLOV, OF BAKER CITY, OREGON.

CONCENTRATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 563,805, dated July 14, 1896.

Application filed August 1, 1895. Serial No. 557,894. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM H. ROCKFEL- LOW, of Baker City, in the county of Baker and State of Oregon, have invented a new and Improved Concentrator, of which the following is a f ull, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to placer and quartz mining; and its object is to provide a new and improved concentrator which is simple and durable in construction, and arranged to save the fine gold contained in the sand, pulverized quartz, or other material.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a side elevation of the improvement. Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view of the same on the line 3 3 of Fig. Fig. 4c is a transverse section of the same on the line 4: i of Fig. 2, and Fig. 5 is a transverse view of part of the mercury-box.

The improved concentrator is provided with a suitably constructed frame A, carrying bcarin gs A on which are mounted to rock the rockers 13, arranged transversely, and se cured to the under side of a table B. The latter is provided at its upper end with a large hopper 13, next to which is arranged a suitable box 0, adapted to contain mercury, and provided with a transverse partition 0, formed at its lower end with a downwardly and rearwardly inclined deflecting-plate C extending at its lower edge within a short distanoe of the bottom or the box 0. The latter in front of the partition G is open at the top, while in the rear of the said partition the box is closed by a cover G formed with a transverse opening 0 near the partition C, to peranit the sand and water to pass from the box in an upward direction to flow over the said cover C.

The cover C is made removable, and is fastened in place by suitable means while the machine is at worlgthe said means being preferably wedges C engaging the top surface of the cover, and lugs fastened to the sides of the hopper B 7 The water and sand pass into the open top of the box C from above by passing over a copper plate l), supported in the hopper B",

as plainly shown in Fig. 2. Above this copper plate D is arranged a perforated bottom E, extending with its front end beyond the partition C, so that any coarse material passing over this perforated bottom E falls beyond the front end of the cover so as to be carried by the water passing over the cover, upon the table l3.

Over the perforated bottom E is arranged a hopper F, having a perforated bottom F and an outlet -chute F extending downwardly, to terminate at the lower end of the table B. Into this hopper F the gold-carrying sand and water are discharged from a flume or other means, it being understood that the coarse material passes directly over the chute F to the lower end of the machine, while the gold-bearing sand passes through the perforated bottom F upon the bottom E, through which the finer material passes upon the copper plate D, to then flow down with the water into the upper, open top of the box C. The sand and gold now come in contact with the mercury contained in the box, so that the gold is taken up by the mercury to form an amalgam.

It is understood that the sand and water must pass under the deflecting-plate C to reach the lower end of the box, to then rise therein and pass through the opening 0 and over the cover C to a perforated plate G, projecting under the cover, upon the table B. The latter is provided in its lower portion with a covering H of burlap or other suit-able fabric, so as to retain any fine or flour gold that may escape from the mercury-box C.

The lower end of the table B, as well as the lower end of the chute F discharges upon a water-wheel I, having buckets of any approved construction and provided with a shaft I, journaled insuitable bearings on the frame A.

On one end of the shaft 1 is secured a crankarm J, engaging with its wrist-pin J a longitudinally-extending slot K, formed in a lever K, fulcrumed at K on the side of the frame A. The forward end of the lever K engages a vertically-disposed link L, pivotally connected at its upper end with one of the rockers B near one side of the table B, as is plainly shown in Fig. 4.

Now it will be seen that the Water and discharged material passing over the lower end of the machine actuate the wheel I, so that the crank-arm J imparts a swinging motion to the lever K, which by its connection with the link L causes the table B to rock sidewise. By this arrangement the sand and water in passing through the machine asabove described are constantly agitated, so that a thorough mingling of the sand with the mercury takes place in the box 0, to insure the taking up of all the fine gold by the mercury.

On the shaft 1 is also secured a pulley N, connected by a rope N with a pulley N fastened on a shaft 0, journaled in suitable bearings at the upper end of the frame A. This shaft 0 carries a drum 0, which may be used for amalgamating or other purposes,

to gather the gold from black sand with the aid of quicksilver, the drum being also adapted for cleaning-up purposes or working the gold out of the sand or. valuable sulfurets which maybe gathered from the concentrator.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A concentrator comprising a table having at one end a hopper 13 having an elevated copper plate D at the end, a mercury-box O at the end of the copper plate with vertical partition 0 in the same extending nearly to the bottom and having a deflecting-plate O at its lower edge, the detachable cover 0 for the box extending over the rear portions of the box and leaving a space between it and the partition, and a screen E extending over the copper plate and the mercury-box and terminating over the cover 0 of said mercurybox, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. A concentrator comprising a table having at one end a hopper B having an elevated copper plate D at the end, a mercury-box O at the end of the copper plate with vertical partition C in the same extending nearly to the bottom and having a deflector-plate C at its lower edge, the detachable cover C for the box extending over the rear portion of the box and leaving a space between it and the partition, a screen E extending over the copper plate and the mercury-box and terminating over the cover 0 of said box, a second coarser screen F arranged above the screen E and having an inclined chute F extending from the same to the end of the table, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. A concentrator comprising a table mount ed to rock sidewise, having at one end a hopper B with an elevated copper plate D at the end, a mercury-box C at the end of the copper plate with vertical partition 0 in the same extending nearly to the bottom and havingiat its lower edge a deflecting-plate C the detachable cover G for the box extending over the rear port-ion of the box and leaving a space.

between it and the partition, and a screen E extending over the copper plate and the mercury-box and terminating over the cover 0 of the said box, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4:. A concentrator comprising a table mounted to rock sidewise about a longitudinal subjacent axis and provided with screening and amalgamating devices and an end discharge, a water-wheel journaled beneath the end discharge about an axis at right angles to that of the rocking table and having a crank at its end with wrist-pin, a horizontal lever fulcrumed between its ends at the side of the machine upon a stationary part of the framework, and having one end connected to the rocking table by a vertical link, and the other end slotted and connected to the wrist-pin of the water-wheel crank, substantially as shown and described.

WILLIAM H. ROOKFELLOXV.

\Vitnesses:

EVA F. MILLER, 11. T. HUsTED. 

